used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading _The Closing Net._ A light tapping, faint but insistent came to Betty's ears in the midst of her consternation and her hands dropped to her sides as she turned quickly from the hearth.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading The sound was brittle and crisp rather than metallic and seemed to come from the window which showed a square black void against the light of the room.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading _The Closing Net._ A light tapping, faint but insistent came to Betty's ears in the midst of her consternation and her hands dropped to her sides as she turned quickly from the hearth.
eagerly desirous
From this reading Betty hesitated but as he repeated the gesture with anxious impatience, she walked over to the window and opened it.
past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading As she approached, however, a face appeared out of the surrounding gloom and flattened itself against the pane.
past form of “approach” — move towards
From this reading As she approached, however, a face appeared out of the surrounding gloom and flattened itself against the pane.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading _The Closing Net._ A light tapping, faint but insistent came to Betty's ears in the midst of her consternation and her hands dropped to her sides as she turned quickly from the hearth.
the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others
From this reading It was that of a man, youthful and clean shaven, with a cap pulled low over his eyes, and as he perceived that he had succeeded in attracting her attention, he beckoned eagerly.
attractingverbUS /əˈtræktɪŋ/
-ing form of “attract” — direct toward itself or oneself by means of some psychological power or physical attributes
From this reading It was that of a man, youthful and clean shaven, with a cap pulled low over his eyes, and as he perceived that he had succeeded in attracting her attention, he beckoned eagerly.
beckonedverbUS /ˈbekənd/
past form of “beckon” — signal with the hands or nod
From this reading It was that of a man, youthful and clean shaven, with a cap pulled low over his eyes, and as he perceived that he had succeeded in attracting her attention, he beckoned eagerly.
Betty
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Betty hesitated but as he repeated the gesture with anxious impatience, she walked over to the window and opened it.
Betty's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _The Closing Net._ A light tapping, faint but insistent came to Betty's ears in the midst of her consternation and her hands dropped to her sides as she turned quickly from the hearth.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading The sound was brittle and crisp rather than metallic and seemed to come from the window which showed a square black void against the light of the room.
brittleadjectiveUS /ˈbrɪtəl/
having little elasticity; hence easily cracked or fractured or snapped
From this reading The sound was brittle and crisp rather than metallic and seemed to come from the window which showed a square black void against the light of the room.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading _The Closing Net._ A light tapping, faint but insistent came to Betty's ears in the midst of her consternation and her hands dropped to her sides as she turned quickly from the hearth.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading _The Closing Net._ A light tapping, faint but insistent came to Betty's ears in the midst of her consternation and her hands dropped to her sides as she turned quickly from the hearth.
a tight-fitting headdress
From this reading It was that of a man, youthful and clean shaven, with a cap pulled low over his eyes, and as he perceived that he had succeeded in attracting her attention, he beckoned eagerly.
free from dirt or impurities; or having clean habits
From this reading It was that of a man, youthful and clean shaven, with a cap pulled low over his eyes, and as he perceived that he had succeeded in attracting her attention, he beckoned eagerly.
ClosingnounUS /ˈkloʊzɪŋ/
the act of closing something
From this reading _The Closing Net._ A light tapping, faint but insistent came to Betty's ears in the midst of her consternation and her hands dropped to her sides as she turned quickly from the hearth.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading The sound was brittle and crisp rather than metallic and seemed to come from the window which showed a square black void against the light of the room.
consternationnounUS /ˌkɑːnstərˈneɪʃən/
fear resulting from the awareness of danger
From this reading _The Closing Net._ A light tapping, faint but insistent came to Betty's ears in the midst of her consternation and her hands dropped to her sides as she turned quickly from the hearth.
crispadjectiveUS /krɪsp/
(of something seen or heard) clearly defined
From this reading The sound was brittle and crisp rather than metallic and seemed to come from the window which showed a square black void against the light of the room.
inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground
From this reading _The Closing Net._ A light tapping, faint but insistent came to Betty's ears in the midst of her consternation and her hands dropped to her sides as she turned quickly from the hearth.
with eagerness; in an eager manner
From this reading It was that of a man, youthful and clean shaven, with a cap pulled low over his eyes, and as he perceived that he had succeeded in attracting her attention, he beckoned eagerly.
plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading _The Closing Net._ A light tapping, faint but insistent came to Betty's ears in the midst of her consternation and her hands dropped to her sides as she turned quickly from the hearth.
opinion or judgment
From this reading It was that of a man, youthful and clean shaven, with a cap pulled low over his eyes, and as he perceived that he had succeeded in attracting her attention, he beckoned eagerly.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading As she approached, however, a face appeared out of the surrounding gloom and flattened itself against the pane.
deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc
From this reading _The Closing Net._ A light tapping, faint but insistent came to Betty's ears in the midst of her consternation and her hands dropped to her sides as she turned quickly from the hearth.
flattenedadjectiveUS /ˈflætənd/
having been flattened
From this reading As she approached, however, a face appeared out of the surrounding gloom and flattened itself against the pane.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading _The Closing Net._ A light tapping, faint but insistent came to Betty's ears in the midst of her consternation and her hands dropped to her sides as she turned quickly from the hearth.
motion of hands or body to emphasize or help to express a thought or feeling
From this reading Betty hesitated but as he repeated the gesture with anxious impatience, she walked over to the window and opened it.
a state of partial or total darkness
From this reading As she approached, however, a face appeared out of the surrounding gloom and flattened itself against the pane.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It was that of a man, youthful and clean shaven, with a cap pulled low over his eyes, and as he perceived that he had succeeded in attracting her attention, he beckoned eagerly.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading _The Closing Net._ A light tapping, faint but insistent came to Betty's ears in the midst of her consternation and her hands dropped to her sides as she turned quickly from the hearth.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It was that of a man, youthful and clean shaven, with a cap pulled low over his eyes, and as he perceived that he had succeeded in attracting her attention, he beckoned eagerly.
hearthnounUS /hɑːrθ/
an open recess in a wall at the base of a chimney where a fire can be built
From this reading _The Closing Net._ A light tapping, faint but insistent came to Betty's ears in the midst of her consternation and her hands dropped to her sides as she turned quickly from the hearth.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading _The Closing Net._ A light tapping, faint but insistent came to Betty's ears in the midst of her consternation and her hands dropped to her sides as she turned quickly from the hearth.
past form of “hesitate” — pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
From this reading Betty hesitated but as he repeated the gesture with anxious impatience, she walked over to the window and opened it.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading It was that of a man, youthful and clean shaven, with a cap pulled low over his eyes, and as he perceived that he had succeeded in attracting her attention, he beckoned eagerly.
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading As she approached, however, a face appeared out of the surrounding gloom and flattened itself against the pane.
impatiencenounUS /ˌɪmˈpeɪʃəns/
a lack of patience; irritation with anything that causes delay
From this reading Betty hesitated but as he repeated the gesture with anxious impatience, she walked over to the window and opened it.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading _The Closing Net._ A light tapping, faint but insistent came to Betty's ears in the midst of her consternation and her hands dropped to her sides as she turned quickly from the hearth.
insistentadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈsɪstənt/
repetitive and persistent
From this reading _The Closing Net._ A light tapping, faint but insistent came to Betty's ears in the midst of her consternation and her hands dropped to her sides as she turned quickly from the hearth.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was that of a man, youthful and clean shaven, with a cap pulled low over his eyes, and as he perceived that he had succeeded in attracting her attention, he beckoned eagerly.
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading As she approached, however, a face appeared out of the surrounding gloom and flattened itself against the pane.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading _The Closing Net._ A light tapping, faint but insistent came to Betty's ears in the midst of her consternation and her hands dropped to her sides as she turned quickly from the hearth.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading It was that of a man, youthful and clean shaven, with a cap pulled low over his eyes, and as he perceived that he had succeeded in attracting her attention, he beckoned eagerly.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading It was that of a man, youthful and clean shaven, with a cap pulled low over his eyes, and as he perceived that he had succeeded in attracting her attention, he beckoned eagerly.
metallicadjectiveUS /məˈtælɪk/
containing or made of or resembling or characteristic of a metal
From this reading The sound was brittle and crisp rather than metallic and seemed to come from the window which showed a square black void against the light of the room.
the location of something surrounded by other things
From this reading _The Closing Net._ A light tapping, faint but insistent came to Betty's ears in the midst of her consternation and her hands dropped to her sides as she turned quickly from the hearth.
NetnounUS /net/
a computer network consisting of a worldwide network of computer networks that use the TCP/IP network protocols to facilitate data transmission and exchange
From this reading _The Closing Net._ A light tapping, faint but insistent came to Betty's ears in the midst of her consternation and her hands dropped to her sides as she turned quickly from the hearth.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading _The Closing Net._ A light tapping, faint but insistent came to Betty's ears in the midst of her consternation and her hands dropped to her sides as she turned quickly from the hearth.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading Betty hesitated but as he repeated the gesture with anxious impatience, she walked over to the window and opened it.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading As she approached, however, a face appeared out of the surrounding gloom and flattened itself against the pane.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading It was that of a man, youthful and clean shaven, with a cap pulled low over his eyes, and as he perceived that he had succeeded in attracting her attention, he beckoned eagerly.
panenounUS /peɪn/
sheet glass cut in shapes for windows or doors
From this reading As she approached, however, a face appeared out of the surrounding gloom and flattened itself against the pane.
detected by instinct or inference rather than by recognized perceptual cues
From this reading It was that of a man, youthful and clean shaven, with a cap pulled low over his eyes, and as he perceived that he had succeeded in attracting her attention, he beckoned eagerly.
past form of “pull” — cause to move by pulling
From this reading It was that of a man, youthful and clean shaven, with a cap pulled low over his eyes, and as he perceived that he had succeeded in attracting her attention, he beckoned eagerly.
with speed
From this reading _The Closing Net._ A light tapping, faint but insistent came to Betty's ears in the midst of her consternation and her hands dropped to her sides as she turned quickly from the hearth.
on the contrary
From this reading The sound was brittle and crisp rather than metallic and seemed to come from the window which showed a square black void against the light of the room.
recurring again and again
From this reading Betty hesitated but as he repeated the gesture with anxious impatience, she walked over to the window and opened it.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading The sound was brittle and crisp rather than metallic and seemed to come from the window which showed a square black void against the light of the room.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading The sound was brittle and crisp rather than metallic and seemed to come from the window which showed a square black void against the light of the room.
shavenadjectiveUS /ˈʃeɪvən/
having the beard or hair cut off close to the skin
From this reading It was that of a man, youthful and clean shaven, with a cap pulled low over his eyes, and as he perceived that he had succeeded in attracting her attention, he beckoned eagerly.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading _The Closing Net._ A light tapping, faint but insistent came to Betty's ears in the midst of her consternation and her hands dropped to her sides as she turned quickly from the hearth.
past form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading The sound was brittle and crisp rather than metallic and seemed to come from the window which showed a square black void against the light of the room.
plural of “side” — a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading _The Closing Net._ A light tapping, faint but insistent came to Betty's ears in the midst of her consternation and her hands dropped to her sides as she turned quickly from the hearth.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading The sound was brittle and crisp rather than metallic and seemed to come from the window which showed a square black void against the light of the room.
make square
From this reading The sound was brittle and crisp rather than metallic and seemed to come from the window which showed a square black void against the light of the room.
past form of “succeed” — attain success or reach a desired goal
From this reading It was that of a man, youthful and clean shaven, with a cap pulled low over his eyes, and as he perceived that he had succeeded in attracting her attention, he beckoned eagerly.
surroundingadjectiveUS /sərˈaʊndɪŋ/
closely encircling
From this reading As she approached, however, a face appeared out of the surrounding gloom and flattened itself against the pane.
tappingnounUS /ˈtæpɪŋ/
the sound of light blow or knock
From this reading _The Closing Net._ A light tapping, faint but insistent came to Betty's ears in the midst of her consternation and her hands dropped to her sides as she turned quickly from the hearth.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading The sound was brittle and crisp rather than metallic and seemed to come from the window which showed a square black void against the light of the room.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was that of a man, youthful and clean shaven, with a cap pulled low over his eyes, and as he perceived that he had succeeded in attracting her attention, he beckoned eagerly.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading _The Closing Net._ A light tapping, faint but insistent came to Betty's ears in the midst of her consternation and her hands dropped to her sides as she turned quickly from the hearth.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading _The Closing Net._ A light tapping, faint but insistent came to Betty's ears in the midst of her consternation and her hands dropped to her sides as she turned quickly from the hearth.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading _The Closing Net._ A light tapping, faint but insistent came to Betty's ears in the midst of her consternation and her hands dropped to her sides as she turned quickly from the hearth.
voidadjectiveUS /vɔɪd/
lacking any legal or binding force
From this reading The sound was brittle and crisp rather than metallic and seemed to come from the window which showed a square black void against the light of the room.
past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps
From this reading Betty hesitated but as he repeated the gesture with anxious impatience, she walked over to the window and opened it.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The sound was brittle and crisp rather than metallic and seemed to come from the window which showed a square black void against the light of the room.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The sound was brittle and crisp rather than metallic and seemed to come from the window which showed a square black void against the light of the room.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading The sound was brittle and crisp rather than metallic and seemed to come from the window which showed a square black void against the light of the room.
in the company of; together with
From this reading It was that of a man, youthful and clean shaven, with a cap pulled low over his eyes, and as he perceived that he had succeeded in attracting her attention, he beckoned eagerly.
youthfuladjectiveUS /ˈjuːθfəl/
suggestive of youth; vigorous and fresh
From this reading It was that of a man, youthful and clean shaven, with a cap pulled low over his eyes, and as he perceived that he had succeeded in attracting her attention, he beckoned eagerly.
